Since we interact with the world so much through touch, a good pair of gloves is appreciated much beyond its original purchase price. Recently we came across these Head Hybrid Gloves at Costco for dirt cheap and bought them on impulse since our daily driver gloves, the Outdoor Research Sensors, were finally and inevitably coming apart after years of solid service.

After a couple months of daily winter use for everything from driving to skiing we're pretty happy with them. The Hybrid is touch-compatible, which is great for things like a touch-sensitive unlock function on a car door, and will do in a pinch for a phone screen. The fingers are a bit blocky for small touch manipulation, but that's to be expected for a warmer glove like the Hybrid.

How warm? We're fine in the Hybrid down to single digits. They're fairly wind-resistant, pleasant to the touch (by which we mean wiping your snotty nose) and the low-profile cuff fits under jacket arms easily. We were a little concerned about the fabric on the back of the hand, as it looks like it could catch and tear easily, but we've had no problems so far.

The only other ding is the traction material is only along the palm of the hand, and the fingers are pretty slick for holding on to anything. We'd pay a bit more for touch-sensitive leather palms and fingers like the OR Sensor, but for the price it's really hard to argue with the Hybrid; it's a good glove for cold weather use, and a great glove at the price. Available in any color you want, as long as it's gray or black.

We first saw Australian company CGear's sand-free mat and thought it was a hoax, but after attempting to disprove its magical self-cleaning properties we have to admit that it actually works, and can work pretty well in certain conditions. CGear says the technology was developed to provide dust abatement for helipads, and as someone who once upon a time spent my weekends jumping on and off - and sometimes out of - helicopters, that's a real need. Swirling dust and slashing rotors don't mix, not to mention the wear and tear on engines.

The CGear civilian-issue mat is a sturdy tarp that comes in sizes from 6x6 feet to 12x12, and in a few color choices. There are also various other products they make with the same or similar functionality, including towels, bags and even footwear. The mat has a reinforced edge and D-rings around the border to stake it out, although due to the substantial heft of the material you won't really need them unless the wind is really blowing.

Once on the ground, the double-weave material easily lets fine sand, dust and particulates through the material in one direction. It's thick enough that it provides a comfortable walking and sitting surface, even on hard surfaces, which is a nice bonus. As particulates get thicker and/or wetter they don't go through as easily, but generally it's the finer stuff that's annoying you anyway; pebbles are easily swept off and a bit of a shake helps the intermediate stuff get out. At the end of the day a good shaking and hosing will clean most of what's stuck in the weave out.

The polyethylene construction is definitely sturdy, enough to stand up to chairs and the like, and although you can lie directly on it for general comfort you'll probably put a towel on top. The mat is great for RVs, car camping, cabins and the like, and pulls double-duty on damp surfaces to keep things dry. If you're looking to manage the dirt in your life, check out the CGear mat, a nice piece of kit from down under.

It's pain to wrangle skis and poles, whether it's from the corner of the garage into your car or from your car up to the lift or really anywhere else. There are a number of solutions to ski portage, but a simple strap has a lot of advantages and the Bowtie wraps it all up - pun intended - in a great little package, affordably priced.

The Bowtie has two velcro straps at either end of a longer nylon adjustable carry strap. Just wrap the smaller straps around your skis and poles on either side of your bindings, adjust the carry strap - shorter for hand carry, longer to sling over your shoulder or across your back - and you're good to go.

The basic version works just fine for even fat skis, although if you've got something obscenely fat - Fischer Ranger we're lookin' at you - Bowtie makes a fat version, which is oddly hard to find. We can vouch that the normal version fits our Nordica Enforcer 93's and poles with some room to spare.

In use the Bowtie is great. It goes on and off quickly, carries everything from adult and kids downhill skis to cross country gear, can be used for bundles of poles or wands, and can be easily stored in a coat pocket while you're skiing. We really appreciated being able to load and unload three sets of skis in a rooftop box when each set is in its own Bowtie. Schlepping them to the lift would have been impossible for one person if they were loose, but easy-peasy when you can sling one over your back and carry another in each hand. Great product, very useful.

It was long past time to upgrade Littleflogger to his next level backpack. He's six years old and it's time he carried his own weight. OK, maybe not the full 50 pounds, but at least his lunch and a few layers. We've got a full travel schedule this year and the pack will function as carry-on and destination daypack, so we set out to find the right pack and we happily ended up with the REI Tarn 18.

The Tarn comes in 12, 18, 40 and 65 liters, with the 12L for 5-8 years and the 18L for 8-12 years. We went with the 18 for our 6yo, wanting the extra space for puffy layers in the Alaskan winter and for snacks, toys and books for car and air travel. It still fits him just barely and gives him some room to grow and some extra organization options, but the 12L probably would have worked fine too.

The 18 has pockets on the hip belt and load lifter straps to cinch the main compartment tight, and other than that and the size is pretty much identical to the 12. Both have dual stretchy mesh bottle pockets, a large stuff pocket on the front (remember the front is the back - opposite the shoulder straps - when you're talking packs), and a top front zipper pocket for smaller more frequent access. Inside is a hydration bladder sleeve, a clip on a lanyard and a small zipped pocket on the flap with a cool graphic that shows the ten essentials.

On the front of the stuff pocket are daisy chains, and on the bottom there are even four lashing points. I don't see us ever using any of those but hey, you never know. The sternum strap has a whistle, sure to be a hit with any normal loud-noise-loving kid, and a safety feature to boot. Overall this is a great and reasonably price pair of kid's packs, and either one will pull duty from school to the Jungfrau. For a video comparing the two see the link below.

Sometimes it's the simple things in life, like a warm puffy blanket. For cabin time, concerts on the green, glamping or just kicking back at home it's nice to be able to go warm when you want to.

Rumpl makes puffy blankets, and from the moment the 50x70 inch camo version came out of the box it's been in use. Our six-year-old Littleflogger got it first, but it also found a home in the camper and the even in the just-in-case bag in back of the car on some long cold-weather drives here in Alaska.

Sure it's just a blanket, but the simplicity is the lure. It's definitely warm enough to be a single cover even down to about freezing, especially if you've got some warm clothes and insulation between you and the ground. The simplicity extends to care; just throw it in the washer after a particularly manky trip or kid-induced body fluids expulsion event.

The blanket is well made, includes a matching stuff sack, the various prints are attractive, and literally the only real feature on them is a sewn loop near each corner. You can use them to hang-dry, or get creative and clip them together for an open-sided sleeping bag. The only ding is the Rumpl is a bit pricey for a synthetic blanket, but it's hard to hold that against them when it gets so much use, so check it out.

If you've ever laid out the cash for good quality optics - be it a camera lens, binoculars or upgrades to the Hubble space telescope - you know all about sticker shock. Once you've ponied up, doesn't it make sense to take care of your new baby? Don't procrastinate, get a lens pen.

The LensPen UltraPro is inexpensive and includes the basics: a protractile (shut up autocorrect, is too a word) goat-hair brush - yeah baby, goats! - to shoo away the vicious scratching particles clinging to your lens, and a carbon something-or-other felt-like material to gently polish and absorb oils or whatever nastiness you've managed to contaminate your lens with.

Lens caps cover both ends, inexplicably screwing on for the brush end and just a friction fit for the cleaner end. There's a handy-dandy pocket clip and you're good to go. Seriously, just buy a couple and keep them in your camera bag, range bag, bino case or wherever you'll be sure to have them handy when you inevitably need one.

One trend in outdoor gear, especially clothing and bags, the last few years is attaching the word "bespoke" to indicate a degree of craftsmanship above and beyond the norm. It's often annoying and frequently unwarranted, but our first review of 2018 features a product that could easily carry the adjective correctly, even though it doesn't bother to try.

It's no surprise to anyone that the product comes out of Mystery Ranch, a company that stakes its stellar reputation on bombproof gear that will perform anytime, anyplace, no excuses. The product is the Mission 90 duffel, a rock solid bag that you can feel free to use and abuse for a very long time.

The quality of the Mission 90, also available in smaller 40 (carry-on compatible!) and 55 liter sizes, is immediately apparent on first touch. The 1000D nylon skin is highly abrasion resistant and waterproof with a very attractive woven look to it. The bag is fully lined, and the TPU laminate is applied to the inside for better longevity. Materials and manufacturing quality count the most in gear designed for daily impact trauma, and Mystery Ranch does not skimp.

Functionality is likewise well thought out and executed. The main compartment is accessed by a large U-shaped double YKK zipper that makes getting at contents painless compared to normal single slit style duffels. Each end also has an external zipper to get into an interior pouch that expands into the main compartment, so as gear becomes dirty and wet you can isolate it from the clean stuff without losing storage space. These pouches are big enough for ski boots if you need to go that route. Internal organization is provided by two zippered flat mesh pockets on the lid, and two more one on each side running almost the length of the duffel.

Even if all of the above is completely dialed in - and it is on the Mission - even the best duffel can be compromised if the carry options aren't up to snuff. Have no fear, because the Mission gives you all the options. You've got a clip-on wide adjustable shoulder strap if you want to carry it messenger bag style, standard dual handles with a velcro keeper, beefy carry handles on each end, and best of all stealth backpack straps in the bottom. Seriously, we had to form a search committee to find them, but once you know there's a hidden zipper in the bottom you can get to them with no problem. The much-better-than-minimalist padded shoulder straps clip into hidden buckles tucked behind flaps at the bottom corners, and there's even a sternum strap to keep you happy on long humps that you can't avoid.

We're waiting to be disappointed by a Mystery Ranch product, and we're beginning to think it might not happen. The Mission 90 duffel is a beautiful, bombproof piece of kit that has more epic in it than most people we know.

Mountaineering types probably don't obsess over what's on their coffee table, assuming they even have a coffee table - much less the stable living arrangements required to house one. But if they do, they probably have an arrangement of Patagonia Press books on it. These books are as much a pleasure to hold and behold as they are to read, and the latest installment to cross our desk is no exception.

In A Mountaineer's Life, living legend Allen Steck looks back on his varied and impressive accomplishments, from notable first ascents around the world to founding Ascent magazine and pioneering adventure travel company Mountain Travel. One of his climbs in particular has to stand out to anyone: the 1965 first ascent of Hummingbird Ridge on Mt. Logan, at 19,551 feet the second highest peak in North America after Denali. The route took thirty-five days and has not yet been repeated, over fifty years later. The pictures on pages 109-10 and 250 of their tiny Camp II tent platform hacked into the side of a cornice are simply stunning.

The book contains triumph and tragedy beyond what you might expect until you realize Steck started climbing when he was sixteen years old and didn't stop - if he even has - until some six decades later. His adventures include intersections with many other notable climbers of the twentieth century, and there is rich historical content throughout. Through all the drama Steck's writing is consistent, richly descriptive and witty; his description of Camp II reads, "I heartily recommend a week at Camp II for anyone desirous of experiencing the deep excitement of living."

The photography matches the overall production quality, which is to say it is superb. The combination of black and white and color photographs with the gripping events, well-rendered in prose by Steck, add up to what will certainly be a timeless classic of mountaineering literature.

We're huge fans of everything Mike & Al, and we still constantly find ourselves recommending to folks their classic Backcountry Ski Book. If you're unfamiliar with Mike and Al's books, you're really missing out: both the writing and the illustrations are clear, concise and unpretentious, making for truly enjoyable reading and learning.

Not just for skiiers, about half the book contains great information on general backcountry safety, camping, and ethics that will be useful to anyone going out to them thar hills. The skiing specific chapters include plenty o' tips on equipment and technique. The authors give equal treatment to AT and tele gear, avoiding completely the totally useless arguments about which is better.

I didn't compare this edition to the last one, so I can't tell you what's new. I just picked it up and reread the whole thing. If you're like me and you can't remember what you had for breakfast, it's ten bucks well spent. Buy it on Amazon together with Backcountry Skiingand you are fully informed.

Black Diamond knows axes, and they know not to mess with what works. The Raven lineup has expanded to four: the Raven, Raven Pro (lighter), Raven Ultra (lightest) and Raven with grip. The updated Raven Pro gets a little work done to improve an already stellar design, but don't worry, they haven't ruined a classic like Pamela Anderson did with all her "updates."

The 7075-T6 aluminum shaft appears to be unchanged, although the finish looks little different from my older model with a less glossy feel. The most noticable difference in the Pro is another hole in the head where it meets the shaft. You can now tie a leash in to the upper hole and still leave a hole free for a carabiner should you need a little anchor action. A minor design change, but it just works better. The carabiner hole (the hole closest to the shaft) is just a smidge bigger for easier clipping.

The investment-cast stainless steel head also has just a bit more width to it across the top where you rest your palm, and the belly where you wrap your fingers is a tad less thick and wide. The blood gutter is smooth edged instead of straight cut, so it should insert and extract into snow and ice easier. The pick is the tinest bit more aggressive, and the adze has a larger cutout and slightly more aggressive edge. Overall weight remains almost identical at 16oz for the long john 75cm model. The Raven Pro still sets the standard for the classic mountaineering axe, and it's now just a notch higher.